


Rest for the Weary

by accelgors



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Gabriel is mentioned but doesn't appear, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, No Porn, Post-Canon, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Retirement, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:54:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23478070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accelgors/pseuds/accelgors
Summary: After their missions end, Jack Morrison and Jesse McCree decide to retire together on a farm.But can Jack truly settle down?
Relationships: Jesse McCree/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Rest for the Weary

It all started with a single pipe dream, one that grew over time until Jack just had to express it.

_Years earlier..._

Jack leaned back on the couch. Having used this safe house for so long, the dirty couch was packed full of memories. Memories that he had made with McCree. Lost time he had made up for. “Hey, Jesse.” McCree raised an eyebrow. “You wanna hear something dumb?”

McCree nodded, but slowly. “You’re not gonna tell me you’re attackin’ another government building, right?”

Jack laughed. “No, not this time. Can’t make any guarantees about the future, though.” He gave McCree a smile. “It’s just a thought I’ve had for a while. After all of this shit is over, you wanna just...run off together? Just me and you with a farm, living off the land like when we were kids?”

McCree chuckled, the low tones of his deep voice making Jack feel like a lovesick teenager again. “Don’t tell me you’re turnin’ into a sap, Morrison.”

“Maybe a little,” Jack said, grinning at him. “But c’mon. This is serious. Would you?” He said, giving McCree a pleading look.

The other man groaned. “Y’know I hate it when you give me that face. That goddamn one I can’t say no to.” He leaned back a bit further, so his pose was matching Jack’s. “But...that sounds good.” 

Jack perked up a bit. That was a yes, wasn’t it? “You won’t miss city life too much?”

McCree scoffed. “God, no.”

“Me neither.”

  
  


_Present_

Two years pass. The war ends, with the world not being destroyed. Gabriel is back to their side, and now lives out his days with as much peace as he can.

Now, it might be time for Jack’s dream to become reality.

McCree had been the one to bring the idea back after their mission was complete. Like all of the dreams he had at the time, Jack thought of it as completely impossible, not even worth considering. But McCree was insistent on keeping the thought going. It wasn’t as if they had any other plans, and most other places would certainly reject them.

But the clear fields of southern Indiana, just outside his home town? He would always be welcome there, and he trusted McCree enough to let him have access to a place so personal to him.

The Morrison Family Farm itself would give him too many bad memories, too much grief about the opportunities with his family that he had lost. Luckily, McCree didn’t suggest it. Instead, they settled for land a bit further out into the country, well away from the college town. The land in this area was still wide open, unspoiled by the turmoil of war, and there was plenty available for purchase as the population continued to trend more towards urban areas.

When they arrived at their destination, Jack felt compelled to get out of the car and feel at the ground. There were few feelings he loved more than the texture of fresh soil. Some things you could never take out of a farm boy.

The two of them looked at the land -- _their_ land -- and took in the sight. A farmhouse, surrounded on all sides by untilled fields. Nobody had grown anything here in years, and it showed; there were way more weeds than Jack liked. That was something they’d need to take care of quickly. He made a mental note of it.

To his left, McCree got out of their car, stretching his back. McCree put his non-mechanical hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Nothin’ like a wide open field, huh?”

Jack looked back at the man he loved. Many times he had wondered if the struggles he had gone through had really been worth it, but seeing McCree’s slight grin in the Summer sunlight made him not want to change a single minute of it. 

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Don’t get a lot of them in Zurich, that’s for sure.”

McCree hummed, and the two began their walk to their farmhouse, luggage in tow (Jack’s super soldier strength was a blessing, enabling him to carry all of his things in one trip). As they strolled through the fields, Jack took in the sights around him. Or lack thereof. There really was almost nothing here. The nearest town was about 20 miles away; the area in between was nothing but expanses of grassland on flat terrain. The only interruptions in the grass were the corn and wheat plants, which were well towards the east.

Home.

The house was small. Not as small as a barn, but it was clearly made for two people. A perfect house for a quiet, humble life. God, it was even better in person. After decades of sprawling complexes, fancy hotels, and shitty safe houses, there was nothing that felt more suited for him.

When they got to the door, McCree made sure to let him go first, just like always. Such a charmer. As much as Jack pretended to be immune to his little old-fashioned gestures, they gave him a bit of excited pleasure every time. Like some kind of schoolgirl, even though he was well into his 50s. 

Something about opening this door was nerve-wracking. Facing his future. Possibly how he would spend the rest of his life. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

The house was just as quaint as the outside. As he walked inside, he saw that there was little in the way of decoration. Although there was basic furniture, including the gaudy bright purple lamp, there wasn’t much personalization to the house. The couch and coffee table were a dull green, and the wallpaper was plain white, leaving as little of an impact as possible.

Jack decided to start fixing that.

He opened his suitcase. It was perfectly organized, making it easy to find exactly what he was looking for: a picture of him and McCree, one from a few years ago, just about a month after their first kiss. Ana had taken the picture while they were both laughing; although he thought he looked goofy at the time, now he treasured the memories this photo carried. Both of them looked so happy. Looking at it brought a smile to his face every time. 

He had been so distracted admiring the picture that he hadn’t heard McCree come in behind him. “Gettin’ sappy again, old man?” McCree said, a smirk on his face.

Jack laughed. This teasing felt good. The kind of interactions you have with someone you have a long history with. They always felt special, yet so easy to do. “We just look good in this picture, is all.” 

“You look good in every picture, pumpkin,” he said with a wink. 

Jack rolled his eyes, as if the flirting didn’t still get to him every time. “If you wanna get in my pants, we have to unpack first.”

Coming up behind him, McCree wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist. “Waiting’s hard when you’re wearing that.”

Jack’s tank top showed off his pecs very well; although he claimed it was to keep him cool during the moving process, that wasn’t the real reason. It was something he wore specifically to tempt his partner, and both of them were well aware of it. Yet it still worked. “ _After_ we move in, cowpoke.”

McCree groaned. “That ain’t fair.”

“Life’s not fair,” Jack grunted. McCree glared at him, and he absolutely relished it. Nothing more fun than being a tease. 

Although McCree grumbled something at that, he seemed to accept it. The two went back to work moving into their new house. Jack had no idea how to arrange the room. He wanted to make it feel more like theirs and less like the previous owner’s, but how? Interior decoration wasn’t something that came naturally to him.

Evidently, McCree saw his predicament, because he shook his head and said, “Lemme guess. Reyes always designed the room?”

Jack gave a nervous laugh. “How’d you know?”

“Just a guess,” McCree said, rolling his eyes. He moved over and kissed Jack on the cheek, holding him from behind. “We’ll figure something out. Got all the time in the world.”

He was right. They had so much more time to spend together, to build an entirely new life. Although Jack was nervous about the prospect, maybe this could come through after all.

Was it right for him to hope again?

\--

Jack wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in Cairo again. This place had bad memories that he’d prefer to ignore. If he still had a therapist, they’d probably say something about not repressing things, but when had he ever listened to their advice?

Unsure of what to do, he walked through the streets. Eerily, they were completely empty. The normally bustling city was devoid of any activity at all. He entered a nearby building. There was nobody here…

...Except one other person.

Jack looked behind him just in time to see Gabriel manifest, in his Reaper getup. Had his whole new life just been a dream? The possibility clawed deeply into Jack, leaving him terrified.

Gabriel’s appearance was already startling to him, but something happened that made it worse: the building around him collapsed suddenly, just like the base had. He had no time to warn Gabriel before the entire building was rubble in front of him. Running over to where Gabriel was, he recoiled as he saw him impaled on a large metal rod, copious amounts of blood coming out from the bottom of the mask.

Somehow, the man managed to choke out words; they were gurgled, as if there was blood in his mouth. “This was your fault...murderer…”

“No!” Jack shouted, reaching for Gabriel, as if he could somehow help him.

“Stay away from me, you monster…” Jack could do nothing but stare as Gabriel pulled out his shotgun and levelled it at his head. 

“Gabe, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it, I promise!” He tried to stop him somehow, but his whole body refused to move. Like there was some kind of blockage keeping him back.

As the shotgun brushed against his temple, Gabriel managed to grumble, “Why, Jack? Why?” He sounded so hurt. The voice wasn’t even angry; it was a sound of grief, the kind one could only have from being harmed by someone they loved. 

Jack wanted to say something. Explain it away. Defend himself. Anything. But he couldn’t get the words out. As Jack desperately tried to open his mouth, the gun went off and--

Jack shot up in bed with a shout. Immediately, McCree jolted awake next to him, putting his arms in front of Jack in a defensive posture. 

Neither of them said anything; both of them knew the signs of Jack’s nightmares at this point. Jack noticed how heavily he was sweating, although he couldn’t deny that the stains on the sheets were partially tears, as well. As had become customary during these times, McCree turned around and held onto Jack, who began to sink himself into the other man’s hold as his breathing slowed down.

They stayed like that for a while, neither of them saying anything. Feeling McCree’s skin and the strong arms of his lover around him were the best ways Jack had of calming down. The other man was warm, his toned body showing a small amount of softness that came with age. His body just felt...comfortable. He buried his face in McCree’s shoulder and tried to get the last of the tears out.

He wondered if this was all a mistake. Their farm house, this retirement...could he ever really escape his pain? Was he just deluding himself? “Jesse?” He started; McCree faced him, looking relieved that Jack had been able to talk at all. “Do you think I just wasn’t meant to be happy?”

McCree’s grip loosened slightly. He put his hand on top of Jack’s head and began to move his fingers through the white hair. It’d be a damn shame when that hair was completely gone, because this was such a relaxing feeling. “Now, hush,” he said, his voice just above a whisper. “You’ll get through this, hun. Come out better than ever. Promise.” He kissed the top of Jack’s head. “Y’can always call him, you know. He’s our friend.” It really was obvious what all of Jack’s nightmares were about, wasn’t it?

Jack looked down. “I just wanna be alone with you right now,” he admitted. 

He heard a soft chuckle, one that made him absolutely melt. “Wouldn’t say no to that, that’s for damn sure.” 

As McCree continued to brush his hair, the sound of his breathing slowly lulling away Jack’s lingering panic, Jack pulled as close as he could into the other man’s hold, until he could feel the maximum amount of body heat possible. “Love you, Jesse.”

McCree smiled at him, a fondness in his gaze that was reserved only for Jack. “Love you too. Always will.” 

Jack reached his head up and kissed McCree on the lips; the other man reciprocated, and he felt that familiar spark of passion that he hoped would never leave his relationship. 

They didn’t say anything else for a few moments, until Jack finally spoke up about something he had been considering. “...Can we watch one of my movies?” No matter how dumb people said it was, Jack loved superhero movies. They helped calm him down, and perfectly fit with the nostalgic feeling of the house. The cheesier the better. 

McCree laughed, giving him a big grin. “‘Course we can. Still don’t get why you like this shit so much, but if it helps you any…”

Jack returned his grin. “How supportive of you to take one for the team.”

“Never say I ain’t treat you right, old man,” he said, getting his holo pad from the table and turning it on. 

Jack cuddled closer, resting his head on McCree’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

They stayed as close as they possibly could as the movie began, and a feeling of comfort hit Jack. The warmth of both McCree’s body and the blanket, with the familiar sounds in the background, were enough to set Jack’s mind at rest, even if only for once.

Maybe this was what home felt like.

\--

Morning came. As usual, Jack woke up before McCree. For his entire life, Jack had woken up at the crack of dawn, and that didn’t seem like it was going to change anytime soon. 

He did feel significantly better than he had last night. He didn’t have any further nightmares after he fell asleep again. In fact, the slowly rising sun over the fields that they now owned left him feeling invigorated. After last night, he had a newfound confidence in what they were doing. This new life they were building could be something great.

On a whim, he decided to start making breakfast. A nice surprise for McCree when he woke up. His signature pancakes were always a huge hit with everyone he gave them to, and his partner was no exception. He had made certain to get all of the ingredients on their first excursion to the grocery store; in truth, the positive attention he got for them was something he always relished in. 

Almost immediately after he finished, he heard McCree leave their bedroom. Perfect timing. As he came into the kitchen, Jack noticed how wild McCree’s hair was without his signature hat. McCree’s terrible bedhead was a well-kept secret among the two of them. “Mornin’, Sunshine,” McCree said; judging by the low rumble of his voice, he was still barely awake. If Jack was honest, it was adorable. 

Jack couldn’t keep down a fond smile as he set down the plates on the kitchen table. “Made breakfast. Been on this farm for a day, and I’m already turning into Mama.” 

McCree chuckled. “Not gonna say no to a pretty housewife takin’ care of me.”

Jack rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. “Call me a housewife again and you’ll starve from now on.”

The two shared a laugh, then began to eat. Neither of them said much, making only occasional small talk. Although Jack was far from the most astute person in the world, he did notice that something seemed to be bothering McCree. He decided that he was too old for games. If there was anything he’d learned from his disaster of a love life, it was that being direct was always the best idea.

“Something wrong?” Jack finally asked, after they had finished their breakfast.

McCree didn’t respond for a moment. “Was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” He wasn’t looking in Jack’s direction. Although Jack wondered if he would have to prod him further, after a few moments, he spoke. “Just...sometimes worry I’m not enough for you.”

Jack cocked his head to the side. “Huh? Why?”

McCree sighed. “Last night. Seein’ you hurt so bad is real hard, ‘specially when it’s over another guy.” He shook his head. “I wanna help you, but I dunno if I can.”

That made a bit more sense. “Jesse, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can’t save someone on your own. Take it from a guy who learned the hard way.” He grimaced. “But you help me more than anyone. I don’t know if anyone’s gonna save me, but what I do know is that I’m happier with you, and I’m damn lucky you stay with my dumb ass.” He got out of his chair and kissed the top of McCree’s head, feeling his soft hair that was still a bit jostled. 

McCree paused, then pulled Jack in for a kiss on the lips. Jack was happy to indulge him, deepening it and pushing his tongue in McCree’s mouth. As McCree grabbed onto the sides of Jack’s head, Jack pulled them as close together as he possibly could. They stayed like that for a few more moments; after they finished and pulled away, McCree said, “Love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too. Thanks for sticking with me.” The two smiled at each other.

Without a word, they went to the living room, sitting on the couch together. McCree stretched, moving himself in a way that put his arm around Jack. He smirked at Jack, who pulled in closer to his hold. “We gonna work on the farm today?”

Jack nodded, resting his head against McCree’s chest. He kept track of the slow rise and fall; just a reminder that McCree was still so alive, and here with him. “Yeah. But I don’t wanna get up.”

“Never seen you be lazy before, old man. Usually you’re makin’ us work our asses off,” McCree teased.

“Mm. I’m retired now. Can’t I rest a little?” Jack grunted.

McCree smiled at him. “‘Course you can. It’ll be our lil’ secret.” He rubbed the top of Jack’s head.

As Jack lay with his partner, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, a thought hit him. “Jesse, you ever wanted to get married?”

McCree momentarily froze, and Jack was afraid he overstepped his boundaries. Luckily, he spoke again. “Y’know, always thought I’d never settle down. But now that I got a man like you...yeah. Wouldn’t be too bad.”

This was his chance. There was nothing Jack had ever wanted as much as being able to be married to a man he loved. The opportunity was sitting right in front of him. He just had to take it. “So...do you wanna marry me?” He felt as if his throat were closing when he asked.

McCree nodded. “I’ll give your lil’ fantasy a chance. Let’s get it done.”

A thousand ideas for wedding plans immediately started going through Jack’s mind. Okay, maybe he’d put a _bit_ of thought into this in the past. He was more excited than he’d like to admit, but he suspected that McCree - his _fiancé_ now - could tell. “Gonna have a big ceremony with everyone. Please don’t wear your hat.”

“Aww, but I love my hat!” He whined. “It can be fancy.”

Jack rolled his eyes. A cowboy hat was _not_ part of his dream wedding. “No hat. And no spurs, either.”

“You’re no fun,” he said, pouting. Despite this, the two of them shared a laugh. After a moment, both of them simply enjoying the comfortable elation they were experiencing, McCree patted Jack on the head. “Gonna make a great husband, though.”

Jack felt himself blushing at that.

The wait was so worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> For Jack Morrison Rarepair Day!


End file.
